Railway-car truck



June 11, 1929. J, F, O'CONNOR RAILWAY CAR TRUCK Filed May 21. 1927 Patented June 11, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN IE. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TC W. H. MINER, INC, 01? CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

VRAILKNAY-GAR 'IRU CK.

Application filed May 21,

This invention relates to railway car trucks.

An object of the invention is to provide a railway truck of the pedestal type in which an arrangement of equalizer bars is provided which co-operates with the journal boxes to permit the required vertical movementthereof with respect to the truck frame and with respect to each other, and wherein the equalizer bars are-utilized for positively controlling the movements and positions of the journal boxes to prevent displacement thereof and consequent injury to the pedestal members.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide means of this character in which the equalizer bars are supported to swing about pivots fixed with reference to the frame, and the ends of the bars are each formed with spaced bearing portions which bear upon the top wall of the related journal box ad acent the opposite side edges thereof, so that the boxes are prevented from excessive tilting movement and are acted upon by the equalizer bars to insure proper movement of the journal boxes with reference to the pedestal members.

Other and further objects of the invention will more fully and clearly appear fronrthe description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a portion of a six-wheeled truck showing my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a part sectional, part elevational view, corresponding substantially to the line 22 of Figure 1. And Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the invention corresponding substantially to line 38 of Figure 1.

As shown in the drawings, the frame proper of the truck is of the usual rectangular form, having longitudinally extending side beams, and transversely disposed end beams, one of said side beams being illus- .trated in the drawings and indicated by the numeral 10. The frame is provided with a spring suspension arrangement of a wellknown type which suspends the load imposed thereon by the truck bolster or spider, only one portion of said arrangement being shown which is indicated by the numeral 11.

Pedestal members are provided three on each side of the frame in a six-wheeled truck only two of. the pedestal members are shown in the drawings, and indicated at 12 1927. Serial No. 193,342.

and 13, it being understood that the remaining portions of the truck not shown correspond to those illustrated. As contemplated by this invention, the pedestal 12 is made up of longitudinally extending transversely spaced walls forming jaws 1 1 and 15, and connecting portions 16 and 17, the portion 16 fitting on the outer side of the frame member 10, while the portion 17 is disposed upon the inner side of said frame member. The spaced walls are connected together by horizontally disposed webs 1818 disposed onthe undersurface of the frame member and secured thereto by means of bolts 19, the connecting portion 16 being secured to the frame member by bolts indicated at 20 which extend through the frame member. The spaced walls are fur ther connected adjacent the inner vertical edges of the jaws 14 and 15 by means of integral webs 21-22 which form vertically dirposed journal box guide faces. The webs 21 and at the lower ends are turned outward ly to provide webs 2323 to which is secured a cross bar 24: adapted to detachably hold the journal box 25 in place.

The journal box 25 is slidably disposed bctween the guide faces provided by the webs 2l-22, and said journal box is provided with the usual. flanges 26,26 which bear upon the opposite outer faces of the pedestal member to prevent lateral displacement of the journal box. The journal box 25 includes the usual side bottom, and end walls, and a top wall, the top wall as contemplated by this invention being provided with an upstanding rib 2'? arcuate in cross section, said rib terminating some distance from the opposite edges of the journal box to provide seats 2828 adjacent the opposite edges of said top wall.

In practice, due to the fact that the pedestal members and journal box vary somewhat in size. considerable clearance is allowed be tween the side walls of the ournal box and the guide faces of the pedestal aws. This condition, while permitting the required vertical movement of the journal box between the jaws of the pedestal is taken advantage of in the pesent invention in providing means for controlling vertical movement of the box through the medium of an equalizer arrangement of a novel form.

The equalizer arrangement includes equalizer bars indicated at 2930, and means for pivotally supporting the equalizer bars in fixed position with reference to the truck frame. The equalizer bars 29-3O except for their opposite disposition are identical in construction. The equalizer bar 29'comprises an intermediate portion 31 and inclined arms and 83, the arm 32 being of somewhat greater length and thickness than the arm The bar 29 is supported by means of a double wall extension 3 f formed upon the jaw of the pedestal member 12, said bar being pivotally held in position by means of a pivot pin extending through the ends the walls of the extension 3% and through the equalizer bar at the point of juncture of the intermediate portion 31 and arm 32 of the bar. The arm 82 of the bar extends through a cut-out portion in the web 22 of the jaw 15, and terminates in a bearing portion 86. The bearing portion 56 is arcuate in form and the llUtlQY-SlllftlCB thereof is struck upon an arc having a greater radius than the arc of the rib 27, andv at each side of the arcu ate portion the bearing member 36 is provided with contact surfaces 37 and 38, which sui faces bear upon the bearing portions 28 of the top wall of the journal box.

The arm 33 of the bar 29 is adapted to cooperate ith a ournal box 39 slidably mounted in the pedestal member 13. The pedestal member 13 identically similar to the pedestal mei'nber 12 except for the omission of the (XLQllSlOll 34:, and the journal box is identically similar to the journal box 25, having an arouate rib 40 corresponding in form to the arcuate rib of the journal box 25. The arm 33 extends between the double walls forming the adj accnt aw of the pedestal member 13, and is provided with an arcuate terminal portion ll offset to one side of said bar. The undersurface of the terminal portion ll is struck upon an arc of greater radius than the arc of the rib ell) on the journal box 39, and is pio- \idcd with hearing portions 42at2 which rest upon the opposite edges of the journal box (1-: usidc of the rib l0. alaterally extending stop member 43 being provided for co-operation with the equalizer bar 30. The equalizer bar ill) has a short arm ll corresponding to the arm 33 of the bar 29. and extends through the adjacent journal box guide face of the jaw of'the pedestal member 13. and terminates in an offset arcuate portion id having Its arcuate undersurface struck upon a radius similar to that of the end portion 41. and (WtlltljHJlllg said portion, and being provided with spaced conta t surfaces il5l5 engagcable with the opposite edges of the top wall of the journal box, the end portion a l being provided with a laterally extending stop member 46 similar to the stop member 43. The intermediate and outer end portions of the equalizer bar 30, and the opposite end of the truck not shown are similar to those already described.

In operation, the load is yield ably imposed on the truck frame through the suspension means indicated at 11. Upon relative vertical movement of the journal boxes and 39, due to the Wheels of the truck passing over undulations in the track. the equalizer bars 29 and will swing about their pivots. Assuming that the journal box 39 is moving downwardly and the journal box 25 upwardly, the equalizer bar 29 will move in a clockwise direction, and this action will result in the bearing sin-face 38 remaining in contact with the bearing portion 28 of the journal box, while the engaging surface 37 is lifted slightly clear of the adjacent bearing portion 28 of the journal box. The bearing portion d2 of the arcuate portion ell will remain in contact wit-l the adjacent top edge of the journal box, while the contact surface 42 will be lifted slightly clear of the adjacent bearing portion of the journal box. The end portion a l of the equalizer bar 30 will oper ate just the opposite to that described in connection with the portion 4:1. or similar to the poi-ton 36 of the other end of the equalizer bar 29. The arcuate movement of the opposite ends of the equalizer bars 29 and 30 is permitted by reason of the loose connection with the journal box in each instance, and further by reason of the clearance ordinarily left between the side walls of the journal box and the guide faces of the pedestal jaws. Upon downward movement of the journal box 25 and upward movement of the journal box 39 a reversal of the action just described will take place, that is, the contact surface of the end portion 36 will remain in contact with the journal box, while the bearing portion 38 may be lifted slightly clear thereof. Of course, if the clearance between the side walls of the journal box and the guide faces of the pedestal jaws is great enough, as is usually the case, the journal box mav tilt somewhat, but is returned to position due to the force exerted thereon by the spaced contact surfaccs of the ends of the equalizer bars and of the journal. box. so that while the journal boxes might be temporarily slightly displaced, they are always returned to position by movement of the equalizer bars when the truck is travelling over a flat surface.

It should be noted that the positions of the journal boxes are positively controlled by the equalizer bars. while permitting the normal. vertical n'lovcments of the journal boxes in the pedestal members the spaced points of bearing contact between the equalizer bar inel'nbers and the journal boxes serving to return the journal boxes to aligned position, and maintain the same in such position thereby overcoming the tendency of the jonrnal boxes to assume a permanently tilted condition with consequent great injury to the guide faces of the pedestal members.

lVhile I have herein shown and described what I consider the preferred manner of carrying out the invention the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications which come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a truck of the character described, comprising a frame; supporting means including yieldable means for carrying the load imposed upon the truck; pedestal members connected to said frame; journal boxes slidably mounted between the jaws of said pedestal members; and an equalizer member piv-.

otally supported intermediate its ends by said frame, and having centering means upon its opposite ends directly engaging the joinnal boxes for opposing tilting of the same and controlling the positions thereof.

2. In a truck of the char cter described, the combination with a frame and pedestal members secured thereto; of journal boxes mounted for sliding movement in the jaws of said pedestals; an equalizing bar having end portions co-operating with said journal boxes, each of said end portions being provided with spaced contacting surfaces engageable with each of said journal boxes adjacent the opposite side edges of the tops thereof; and means on said frame for holding said equalizing bar against bodily movement lengthwise of said truck frame.

3. In a truck of the character described, the combination with a frame and a plurality of pedestal members, each provided with a journal box slidably disposed between the jaws thereof; a plurality of equalizer members, each of said members having one end disposed alongside of the corresponding end of the other member in overlapping relation and engageable with one of said journal boxes, and the opposite ends of both equalizer members being engageable with another journal box; and means fixed to said truck frame engaging each of said equalizer members between the ends thereof for holding the same against displacement longitudinally of said truck frame.

4. In a truck of the character described, the combination with a pedestal member having jaws; a journal box slidably mounted between the jaws of said pedestal member; and an equalizing bar pivotally mounted on an extension of said pedestal member and having one end engageable with the journal box for controlling the movement thereof, said means being in the form of spaced cont-acting surfaces adapted to engage the top wall of the journal box adjacent the opposite side edges thereof; and means connecting the opposite end of said equalizing member to the adjacent journal box of said truck.

5. In a truck of the character described, the combination with a frame; of pedestal members mounted on said frame, one of said pedestal members being provided with an extension; journal boxes slidably mounted between the jaws of each of said pedestal members; and an equalizer bar pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said extension, said bar being provided with end portions providing spaced contact surfaces engageable with spaced points on the top walls of each of said journal boxes.

6. In a truck of the character described, the combination with a frame; of a plurality of pedestal members mounted on said frame; of a plurality of journal boxes, one of which is mounted between the jaws of each of said pedestal members; and a plurality of equalizer members disposed between said pedestals, each of said equalizer members being pivotally connected with said frame intermediate its ends, and each equalizer member being provided with end portions co-operating with said journal boxes, the adjacent end portions of said equalizer members being arranged in overlapping relation, and provided with spaced contacting surfaces bearing upon spaced bearing portions of the top wall of the related journal box, and the op posite ends of said equalizer members being provided with spaced contacting surfaces engageable with spaced bearing portions of the top wall of the related journal box.

7. In a truck of the character described, the combination with a frame; of a plurality of pedestal members mounted on said frame; journal boxes slidably disposed between the jaws of each of said pedestal members; an equalizer bar pivotally connected intermediate its ends upon said frame, and having end portions adapted to bear upon said j ournal boxes each of said end portions having an arcuate under-surface providing spaced contact points engageable with spaced bearing portions of each of said journal boxes.

8. In a truck of the character described, the combination with a frame; of a plurality of pedestal members mounted on said frame; journal boxes slidably disposed between the jaws of each ofvsaid pedestal members; an equalizer bar pivotally connected intermediate its ends upon said frame, and having end portions adapted to bear upon said journal boxes, each of 'said end portions having an arcuate under-surface providing spaced contact points engageable with spaced bearing port-ions of each of said journal boxes, the top wall of each of said journal boxes being provided with an arcuate rib struck upon a radius of less extent than the radius of the are defining the spaced contacting points of each end portion of said equalizer member.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th day of May, 1927.

JOHN F. OCONNOR. 

